Please note: This is a fixed term position for 2 years
Working hours: 35 hours per week with occasional evening and weekends
Interview Date: To be confirmed
We are looking to recruit a Mentoring Programme Co-ordinator that will work to expand The Salvation Army’s Starfish programme across the East Cynefin* within the Wales Division. Starfish is a mentoring programme designed to work with children and young people in schools, aged 9-16 years. Working within a school’s student wellbeing support, Starfish provides committed and trusted adults (mentors) to work with young people who need Early Help without which they would be at risk of not meeting their full potential. Their identified needs may relate to their health, educational or social development.
*The East Cynefin is the South East Region of Wales currently containing expressions of the Salvation Army in Abergavenny, Abertillery, Cwm, Cwmbran, Newport, Pontypool & Risca.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Establish and grow the Starfish Schools Mentoring Programme within local primary and secondary schools ensuring efficient and effective delivery and monitoring.
2. Recruit and support volunteer Starfish mentors from the local Salvation Army corps and other churches in line with Salvation Army volunteer and Safe & Sound guidelines.
3. Support and supervise volunteer coordinators / mentors including identifying and facilitating relevant training.
4. Oversee all pupil referrals to the programme, ensuring all relevant information and reports are submitted to schools. Attending multi-agency meetings when required.
5. Provide one-to-one mentoring with pupils to increase participation in education, with a focus around emotional health and wellbeing including personal development and life skills, guided by a Trauma Informed Practice approach.
The successful candidate(s) will have:-
6. A degree with relevant qualification in children’s or youth work qualification and/or extensive experience of working with children and youth in education ages 9-16 and or in the wider community. Applicants with transferable / relevant skills will also be considered.
7. Knowledge of issues affecting young people (e.g. education, poverty, mental health) creative and cultural landscape.
8. Excellent people skills with extensive experience in managing staff, volunteers and working with children and young people (individuals and groups).
9. Ability to create and run age-appropriate positive mentoring activities.
10. The credibility, confidence and skills to represent The Salvation Army appropriately and professionally in a variety of settings and be able to develop strong and effective partnership opportunities and relationships that will extend the reach and impact of the Starfish programme across a wide area.
11. Experience conducting effective monitoring and evaluation to increase effectiveness.
This role has an occupational requirement that the successful candidate must be a committed and practising Christian and will be in sympathy with the doctrines of, and supportive of, the purposes and the aims and objectives of The Salvation Army.